Luka Modric is set to depart Real Madrid after the Club World Cup Tournament, as Real Madrid agreed with the player’s request to terminate his contract.
The 35-year-old will be with the club for the tournament in Abu Dhabi and will bid his fairwell, by wearing Real Madrid’s jersey for the final time in the league match with Real Sociedad at Santiago Bernabeu. Modric helped Real Madrid reach the top of the world during his time at the club, when he went for Tottenham Hotspurs in 2012. The number of appearances that the Croat made – 590, ranks him 9 among the players with the most games for Real Madrid. In LaLiga, he managed to play 393 games, in which he contributed 93 goals.
Luka’s image drastically changed from the most criticized player to the one who achieved the most wins under the Real Madrid jersey. He is the creator of 26 major titles including four LaLiga wins and six Champions League trophies. No one else could have had such success because Luka Modric also won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, thereby ending the Messi-Ronaldo era.
Even if he has not been involved that much in the last few seasons, compared to the first season when he had already scored only 26 goals for the club, as he just played in 56 games this term, his legacy is nevertheless undeniable. Real Madrid President Florentino Perez, complimented Modric as a “unique footballer.”
Modric said, when delivering his speech: “I am leaving with a full heart and a sense of pride and memories that I will live forever in my memory. I will always be a Madridista.” This statement reiterates that the memories of Modric’s tenure at the club will last forever.
It is clear that his saga at Real Madrid leaves a strong mark.